The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-12
Whole No. 245
Horticulture.

fierni''. wl.ith is as applicable to this, as
other portions Oft Territory.
bhc of the attractions of farm life is a
fine /" airing orchard of apples, plums
pears and cherries. And to-day in many
parts of Montana can be found the most
luxnriant and thrifty grown trees. which
this season have born prolific crops of
the most luscious fruits that are really a
marvel and other much more favorable
localities might well be proud of such a
! showing as has been made public from
time to time through the press of Mon
tana. Our own l,cality is quite as favor.
able as many other portions is, and it is
not wholly without foundation either,
that Missoula county, including the fam
Gus Bitter Root valley, is by far the best
fruit growing section of Montana, This
is all true enough so far as one thing is
concerned, viz: The care that trees are
subjected to after planting, which seems
to be an unknown quantity with The
majority of our people. 1t is the neglect
of trees that bring about the heavy
losses so common in our vicinity instead
of a severe climate, high altitude, etc,
AT Missoula. Bitter Root and White Sui
phur Springs the fruit crop has been
wonderful this seasan. more perhaps
than was ever produced IN the Territory
before, including all of the standard
varietics-apples, plums. pears and cher
ries-with these people find orchards
are the rule instead of the exception.
Fruit growing is but in its infancy with
us to-day. No more failures need be
made by our horticulturists, for the sue
cessful growing of all the standard fruits
is possible beyond doubt. 1t is no
longer an experiment; the hardy kinds
have been tested repeatedly, and any
one planting an orchard to day need not
expect to suffer loss if he will but
profit by the experience of Lis more
fortunate neighbor who has been ex-
perhmenting for years, but at last success
has crowned his Efforts. The fine ex-
hibits of apples, rlums, cherries, and
pears, that have been made from time to
time this season by citizens of the city,
and the ranchmen contiguous TO Helena
go far to wards convincing the skeptic,
who is always abroad, airing his eloqu-
ence. That fruit can be raised here with
the attention that trees require and get
in more favorable localities than this is
no longer n disputable question.
The matter of altitude is one that so
many people consider strong barrier
against successful fruit growing here.
This is quite mistake, forthe difference
in the altitude between local points-say
Helena and Missoula 94S feet has com.
paratively little to do with it. And the
famous fruit district of the Bitter Root il
equal to our city in altitude. They show
display of fruits that every citizen Of
Montana should be proud of. Some of
the specimens are simply wonderful
and would astonish eastern growers. The
same varieties have been produced here
in profusion.
Now that our city has so many fine
lawns. yards and gardens deeper inter.
est should be manifested, and those
bare and unsightlv spots should be made
beautiful by planting trees. Even cherry
and the crab make fine lawn trees-the
cherry forshade and the crab for beauty.
When is more pleasing to the eye than
transcendant crab tree in bloom? Echo
answers, nothing! Horticulture relates
to the finer attributes of the homes of a
people the pioneer in new country u.s.
ually carries on very little of horti-
culture. vet he lives far beneath his
possibilities on this very account. The
bonanza farmers care nothing for
horticulture and know nothing of the
delightful poetical associations of farm
life. The charm of rural occupation
lies in the field ofhorticulture, and every
farm house should be surrounded by
the accompaniments of an advanced
horticulture 1t may have been grand
to have had men and women brave the
privatIons and dangers of pioneer life to
secure highly cultivated acres for their
children, but it is heathenish for these
children to live upon these same farms
without the highest embellishments and
most delicate comforts that an advanced
horticulture can afford.
The attractions of American farm life
lie almost wholly in the beautiful and
delightful VARIETY of American horti.
culture.
We cannot afford to live upon farms
without absorbing and employing the
holt'c iltural agencies that elevate farm
life above the level of drudgery into the
realm of art, and the sensible farmer will
find that this poetry of farm life has in
it something less ETHEREAL than rhyme
and rhythm. In it lie many OF the SUBJ
stantial accompaniments of rural life
which give comfort to the grosser man
while contributing to his higher nature.
To the professional man, whose early
education led him to imbibe some of the
methods Of suceessul horticulture, there
is nothing in the way of occupation
having greater attractions, toward the
close OF an active life, than rural home,
with its health-giving occupations and
contributions to the table, to which are
added the artistic embellishments that
appeal so directly to the hearts of men
when connected with kindly associations
and thoughtful attentions.
Now that there is an assurance for an
abundance of the aqueous find, let the
good work of the tree planting go on as
of yore, unabated In effort. The city
has not done as much as it should have
done, still all of us can see the marvel
ous improvement that has been made
within the last few years in our mounta-
in city. The cities of to day arc ten
times prettier than they were five years
ago, and nearly all of this beeuty is
owing to its Improvements i'll the way of
planting shade and shrub trees along
the streets. yards, lawns, etc.
Hedges ] ros., of Bercail, Suffered a
loss of 1,250 head of sheep, on Careless
creek range, few days ago, by heavy